2a.3 Mussolini and anti-semitic decrees Flashcards
Why was the fascist dictatorship decline slowly after 1936 peak?
economic issues like depression, growing concern about relationship with Germany,
inability of M to fulfil grand promises he made to Italian people
anti-jewish policy 1937:
These did not focus on race (only 45k Italian Jews)
-many jews joined fascists and M actually had a Jewish mistress whilst appointing a Jewish finance minister in 1932
1938 anti-Jewish legislation: forbade Italian Jews from:
- marrying pure Italians,
- holding public office jobs like teachers,
- owning more than 50 hectares of land,
- running any businesses with over 100 employees or employing pure italians as servants.
What happened to Jews after the policy was introduced
all foreign jews were deported
Over 3 years, 6k Jews left and students were expelled, Jewish businesses closed down and lecturers quit
Why did Mussolini introduce these policies
he believed a harsher policy towards Jerws would help create a more militaristic, radicalised society that would be united by hatred for both external and internal
- this mirrors totalitarian state of Germany
- to develop racial mentality that Italians were superior to foreign races
What was the Reform of customs
Reform of customs: ideological campaign that forced all civil servants to wear uniforms and army/ militia to adopt ‘passo romano’ aka goose step
- M saw this in Germany and believed it made army more imposing
Italians were banned from shaking hands (seen as foreign and bourgeoisie) and instead had to do a ‘roman salute’
Reaction to the Reform of customs
ridiculed by Italian people as pointless and ridiculous exercise that was copied off Germans meaning most people ignored it
- Majority of Italians resented the anti-jewish legislation as Italy had little to no history of anti-semitism
- Pope also condemned the policies as an un-italian way of copying Nazis
People saw this as a sign of iTALY’S GROWING WEAKNESS AND SUBORDINATION TO gERMAN POLICY
-these policies caused a loss of support from Church, business and judiciary and also the support of some Italians
